Drum.



PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

J. BAHR.

DRUM.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 24,

NO MODEL.

'2g luuulllllmllllll!! WTNESSES JW WL. Mlm.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT EETCE.

DRUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '769.527, datedSeptember 6, 1904. Application filed October 24, 1903. Serial No.178,391. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it 77u07/ 0071/097171.:

Be it known that I, JOHN BAHR, a citizen of the United States, residingat Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State' ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDrums, of which the following is a specification.

My invention broadly relates to drums, and particularly to that classwherein snares are placed in contact with the drumhead to impart theretoa sharp snappy tone, and said invention contemplates the provision ofmeans whereby through the action of a single tension-controlling devicea like degree of pressure may be simultaneously imparted to all pointsof a drumhead straining-hoop for the purpose of increasing the tensionof the drumhead.

Further, such invention contemplates the provision of means wherebytension of the drumhead at any desired point of the straining-hoop maybe increased or decreased without interfering in any way with thetension exerted upon said head at other points of the straining-hoop.

To the ends above set forth the invention consists in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts comprised therein forservice, substantially as is hereinafter set forth and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a bottoni planview of adrum constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view of my improved drum, taken on the line X X of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 shows in inside elevation one of the tension-regulating devicesdetached from the drum. Figs. t and 5 are sectional detail drawingsillustrating the manner of regulating the tension or pressure on anydesired point of the straining-hoop, and Fig. 6 is a modification of thedevice shown in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference in the several figures of the drawingsdenote similar parts.

In carrying out my invention I employ a shell 1, which may be made ofany desired suitable material, and provide said shell with a single head2 and straining-hoops 3 and 4, as is usual in this art. I provide thehead 2 upon its inner surface with snares 5, which are rigidly securedat one end 6 to the inner surface of the shell and provided at theiropposite ends with a tension-increasing device 7. To maintain the head 2at proper tension, I provide the shell 1 upon its back with a series ofradially-extending levers 8, the outer ends of which are fulcrumed(equidistant from each other) either upon the shell 1 or upon a rod 9,which is secured to the inner surface of said shell, as shown. In thepresent embodiment of my invention I show the levers 8 extending througha series of apertures 10, formed in the shell, as shown. This is,however, not essential to the proper action of the drum, as said leversmay be fulcrumed upon the eX- treme lower edge of the shell, if desired.I provide the outer end of each of the levers 8 with a hook-shapedportion 11 to engage the lower edge of a slot 12, which is formedthrough one side of the lower tubular section 13 of an adjusting device14, by which any desired one of the levers 8 may be made to impart agreater or less degree of tension to the drumhead than the remaininglevers and without interferingI with said remaining levers. I providethe adjusting device 14 at its upper end with a tubular section 15,having a slot 1G to receive the hooked lower end 17 of a clamp 18, whichextends over the upper edge of the straining-hoop 1, as shown. I providethe tubular sections 13 and 15, respectively, with a right-hand and aleft-hand screwthreaded inner surface to receive, respectively, theright-hand and left-hand screw-threaded ends 19 and 2O of a rod 21, thatis secured at its middle enlarged portion within a sleeve 2Q. I providethat the opposite ends of said sleeve 22 shall slide freely upon thetubular sections 13 and 15, and I provide said sleeve upon its outercentral portion with a milled surface 23, whereby it maybe readilyturned to move the sections 13 and 15 toward or from each other. (SeeFigs. 4 and I provide that the inner ends of each of the levers 8 shallextend above a plate 24, which, is centrally disposed as regards theshell 1 and is provided with inwardly-projecting tubular studs 25 toreceive studs 26, which project from a bar 27, that extends from side toside of the shell 1 above the levers 3 and is held in position by ears28, secured to said shell 1. I provide the bar 27 at its middle with anoutwardly-projecting screw-threaded stud 29, that extends through anaperture 30, formed'through the plate 24,

. and `to and into a screw-threaded thumb-nut 31, which bears upon theouter surface of the plate 24. (See Fig. 2.)

rIhe operation of my invention will be apparent from the foregoingdescription, taken in connection with the drawings, since therefrom itwill be clear that the upward movement of the thumb-nut 31 willsimultaneously move the inner ends of the levers 8 inward, and sincesaid levers are fulcrumed at points between their ends the outer ends ofsaid levers will be movedbutwardly and will thus operate to imparttension to the head 2 through the adjusting device 14 and hoops 3 and 4.

Should it become necessary for any reason to4 increase or decrease thetension of the head at any particular point upon the straininghoops 3and 4, it is only necessary to move the sections 13 and 15 of theadjustable device 14 toward or from each by the rotation of the sleeve22 of one or more of the levers 8 nearest to the point at which the headis to be adjusted, after which the levers 3 may be moved by the nut 3l,as hereinbefore set forth.

I deem the capacity of the levers 8 for receiving independent adjustmentwith the head 2 of great importance in this art, as thereby the mostperfect tension possible of the head is assured at all times.

ln Fig. 6 I show a modified form of adjusting device for the lower ends.In this form the upper portion of the adjusting device is provided atits top with a hook to catch upon the straining-hoops, and the lower endof said portion is provided both with a central screwthreaded apertureto receive a screw-threaded stud that projects upwardly from anadjustable head below and with a slot to receive the end of the lever 8,as shown. In action the head is turned to move the lever up or down.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- In a drum an adjustable tension device or linkcomprising a screw-threaded section having a hook to engage a drumheadstraininghoop, a screw-threaded section slotted to receive a lever togive tension to a drumhead, and a screw-threaded connection between saidsections, in combination with a shell, a head thereon, a straining-hooktherefor, a series of radially-extending levers fulcrumed on the shellto impart tension to the head, and mechanism to simultaneously move theinner end of said levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in l presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN BAHR. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. H. KNIGHT, EDGAR E. SHAFER.

